Did you know that September is Baby Safety Month? Like most of these "awareness months", it should be baby safety day every day. But that being said, it is a great time of year to remind families of key safety issues.

This year, the "official" focus is on car seat safety. It's a great year to focus on this category for a number of reasons. One reason this interests me is that for the first time since Kelly was born (6+ years ago), there are many more options on the market including the out-of-this-world Orbit seat and the latching Clek booster seat.

I personally am a huge fan of the convertible car seats that go from 5 pounds to 40-80 pounds. Thinking green? There is nothing more green than buying one car seat, instead of two.

My brand of choice for baby is Britax. I have to confess  I used an infant car seat for the first few months with both of my kids, and now regret it. The convenience was clear, but I do have concerns about the effects of 'baby in a bucket' (keeping your baby in a prone position instead of laid flat, which some say limits oxygen saturation).

Now that we are in the 'big kid' phase with Kelly, we have been really enjoying our Clek car seat. It clicks in with ease and has a much more comfortable seat (foam instead of a thin cover on hard plastic) that Kelly loves.

NOTE: Many states require booster seats at least to the age of 8 years old, depending on height. The age limits seem to be going up, so relying on your friends' advice might not be good enough. Here is an NHTSA link on booster seats: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ParentGuide2005/index.htm

If you are looking for more information on baby safety, here are a few other links that I think you'll find helpful:

JPMA September 08 Release on Baby Safety Month

NHTSA Car seat Safety Tips

CPSC Household Safety

When you look at all of the baby and child carrier options that have hit the market in the last five years, you have to assume that one really does it all without compromising look, feel, and function. Not true!

With all the options out there, I had not yet found a carrier that can do front, hip and back with comfort and style in mind ... until now. lillebaby has launched the world's best carrier that hits on all of these points.

Most Americans don't know it, but Norwegians are known as the inventors of the world's best backpacks. Lisbeth, the designer of lillebaby has channeled her genetic gift to apply Norwegian design to create the ultimate baby and child carrier  the EveryWear!

We are so excited about this amazing carrier. We officially unveiled it at the ABC Show in Vegas on Sept. 7-11 and were thrilled that it was a finalist in the JPMA Innovation Awards. It's at a great price point ($99.95 MSRP!)and we've received amazing feedback from all of our retailers and mom testers.

The EveryWear will be available in October at giggle.com and in giggle stores, and available nationwide in November.

We have a national obsession with the issues of Phthalates, BPA, Lead and more. And understandably so, because it affects what goes into our children's bodies from their bottles, mattresses, and even the air. But, before these issues surfaced, I had my own personal obsession with corn syrup. From everything I read and saw on TV, you would think that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)was one of the worst ingredients we can give ourselves and our kids.

I embarked on a crusade to eliminate it from our lives, but quickly found that you can hardly avoid it without going 100% organic (at significant expense). I went through every granola bar, fruit strip, and cracker on my grocery store shelves and found very few options. I even discovered that almost all ketchups have corn syrup as a key ingredient. I did find a few key products that have become staples in my kitchen including Organic Heinz Ketchup, Archer Farms Fruit Strips, etc.

Then I decided to write a blog article about my attempts to avoid of HFCS and went to do some research online. To my surprise, I couldn't really find any evidence to support what I have been hearing all these years. Here are a few pieces I found online:

A Wikipedia posting, which cites some of the anti-HFCS studies, most of which have been refuted.

The conclusions of these articles basically say that HFCS is not worse than the "natural" sugar it replaces. In fact, since it is made from corn, it might be as natural as sugar or honey, just less expensive to make. In fact, taking it a step further, you might even say that it is better for the environment because it can be produced locally in most places.

The conclusion might just be that it is just that sugar, in general, is bad for you,not HFCS specifically. Wow. This makes me re-think my hunt for non-HFCS foods.

And then, the other night, I came across a campaign from the Corn Refiners Association. They pointed to this website: www.sweetsurprise.com. I know you have to consider the source, but facts are facts and, in this day and age, I can't believe that any association would make themselves liable by posting inaccurate information.

So, in the end, maybe this posting is less about sharing my great finds and more a cautionary note to do your research before jumping to conclusions about things.

If you have more information on HFCS, I welcome comments and input!

So, you all now I am a huge fan of the Micralite Toro and was well-before we started carrying the line. I love that it is the do-everything stroller that I needed when I bought the five, yes five, strollers I have: One Full-Sized Pram, one Travel System, one for Off Road, one Light Weight, and one for airplanes. (Okay, so the Toro does not convert to a carseat on an airplane, but I can use the GoGoBabyz to convert my carseat to a stroller!)

The Toro has it all: o Full-sized stroller function with pram option. o Adaptors for carseat carriers  Graco, Peg Perego (coming soon), and MaxiCosi. o Big wheels and an all-terrain kit option for off-roading. o 18-pounds, yes 18-pounds! o Not to forget  all the 'glam' a mom could want

Now for the news... the Toro is finally living up to its namesake and coming in RED. Bright, gorgeous, fun, brilliant, Toro RED.

Charge Ahead! And GET GOING!

Since the JPMA trade show ceased to exist this year, the JPMA Innovation Awards Ceremony was moved to the ABC Show in Las Vegas last week. The ABC Show also marked an important milestone for us, as this marks the fifth year anniversary of our launch of Scandinavian Child and the Svan High Chair. For each of the past five years, we have always submitted a product for the JPMA Innovation Awards. And for five years in a row, our entry did not win. This year, we had two products selected as finalists for the Innovation Awards  the lillebaby EveryWear and the Beaba Babycook.

The first year that we didn't win was really hard on me because I truly believed that the Svan High Chair was going to win. I knew it would be a trend setter for wooden and 'modern' high chairs. Five years later, there are several wooden high chairs on the market and several modern high chairs that make the Svan Chair look traditional. In other words ... I felt robbed. (I have since learned more about the stringent criteria the judges use to determine the winners and fault the process at the time, which allowed very limited information to get through to the judges. The feedback I received? The judges thought a child could not fit in it! It was so much smaller than the oversized plastic high chairs we are used to.)

Do I sound bitter? Okay, maybe just a little. But this year we finally did it! WE WON an Innovation Award! And it was well-deserved.

The winner is .. the BEABA Babycook, the Original Babyfood Maker! I must have looked like a fool, grinning from ear to ear as I approached the stage to receive the award. What a wonderful feeling! The Babycook is both a trend setter and tool for making life easier. It has been available through William Sonoma for a few months and will go into wider distribution through juvenile stores like giggle.com and others over the next few months.

What's so great about the Babycook? Here is my personal opinion  it is amazing! I did not make homemade baby food for my kids, but this would definitely have made it possible. It is incredibly easy to use for both steaming and chopping food in one bowl. It can even reheat frozen food and be used to mix several ingredients together for more complex feedings. More information will be on our site soon as well as at www.BeabaUSA.com, which will launch in early October. Check out this innovative award-winner; you and your baby will be glad you did!

We are about to launch product, after product, after product and I can't keep it a secret any longer! Check back here over the next several weeks for sneak previews of these great new products.

First up, the Cariboo Kiwi Cot Collection. It is finally (almost) here ... the product Cariboo has always needed - a crib!

I fell in love with this crib line when I was in New Zealand last summer. The concept is so fitting for Cariboo because it is both environmentally conscious and design conscious at the same time. Like their amazing bassinets, the Cariboo Kiwi Cot Collection is made from local wood and manufactured in New Zealand ... which explains the price tag ($1595 for the crib!). The finish is an eco-finish and the crib has optional conversion kits to turn it into a toddler bed or a sofa. Plus, you can get bassinets and a changing table that attach to the crib itself. What a space saver.

The matching dresser is a stunner and you can always pair it with the Cariboo Classic Changing Table or the Cariboo Folding Changing Table. Finally, our Cariboo dreamers are realized: you can create an entire Cariboo nursery suite!

Anton started his first day of preschool today. Just like his big sister, Anton walked right into the classroom and never looked back. I was so proud, but the lump in my throat also gave away the truth that some small part of me wished he had thrown himself into my arms and said "Mommy, take me home with you!"

Not going to happen in my world of fiercely independent children and I really wouldn't have it any other way. But, still ... one look back would have been appreciated.

My mom reminded me of something my childhood minister used to say: "Parental love is the only love that, when successful, leads to separation".

Anton is so proud to be going to big kid school!

As school gets back in session, I am sure every Mommy-Blogger in the world is going to be blogging about first day of school jitters (for both parent and child) over the next few weeks. Nothing new here- yesterday was Kelly's first day of first grade at a new school.

I could tell she was excited about her first day when she appeared in the kitchen, fully dressed, at 6:51 am. (Keep in mind that school starts at 9:15 am.) By 7:45 am she had her backpack on. One major problem - she hadn't had a bath in more than a day! (We do baths in the mornings.) She was convinced that her rats-nest hair-do was divine, which made this a little tricky. So, after a minor struggle, she relented and 30 minutes later she was clean with nice, shiny straight hair. (see below)

As I mentioned in New School Daze, I was WAY too stressed out about this first day of school, much more than I should have been. On that point, I was right because she seemed to have a good day. Then again, I am not sure I know exactly how her school day went. When asked, all I got was a 20-minute pitch for why she should be allowed to take the bus because it would be so much faster than the 30-minute carpool line. Given her long oration on facts, points, counterpoints, and summations, I am thinking that she might very well become a lawyer.

After getting no response to my questions about the teacher, projects they worked on, rules she learned, etc., I then asked her if she made any friends. On that note, she lit up, declaring that she had met the "best, best, best friend ever". When asked her name, her response was "I dunno". You have to laugh.

So, as I dig further into the mystery of 1st grade, I will keep you posted. Until then, here is a picture of Kelly heading to school without her two front teeth. (Am I wrong for being glad they haven't grown in yet? She looks so cute!)

Anton starts preschool next week. I have at least another week to go with knots in my stomach. More to come...

I am so glad Kelly can't read my blog yet. She doesn't know it is here. If she did, this blog would make her unnecessarily nervous. For now, this is my place to vent.

What is eating at me? The start of a new school! Kelly is about to start at a new elementary school in 1st grade. I went to one school (system) from kindergarten through 9th grade, so I remember 'new kids' but was never one until I switched schools in 10th grade. While I know it is not always a bad thing, I am terribly nervous for her, way more than I should be and way more than I was when she started kindergarten.

Part of my nervousness is that she will be the new girl when everyone else went to school together last year. The other is that she is moving from a Montessori program that she thrived in to a traditional school. Okay, I know she will be fine, but it is going to be a big change in expectations, methodology, and more.

Luckily, Little Ms. Independence is not worried at all, except that she knows she will have homework  a new concept for her. We will visit her classroom today and then she starts on Monday. The best news for my nerves is that her new school is literally in the back yard of our soon-to-be office! (More on that in the coming weeks!)

My little girl is heading off to 1st grade! I can hardly believe it! Pictures will follow soon.

I love a good marketing campaign, so when the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA - you know, Jerry's Kids!) called to ask if they could lock me up to have my friends bail me out of jail, I was all in.

The campaign was both clever and fun. They had a simple process for loading my contacts into their system and inviting people to 'bail me out' from my personalized website .

The MDA group picked me up at my office yesterday, handcuffed me, and brought me to a club downtown for lunch and 'lock up'. Check out my jailbird picture! Don't you feel sorry for me? All of this fun should not distract from the importance of the MDA cause. MDA helps combat 43 neuromuscular diseases, supports local clinics to provide medical services to patients including leg braces and wheelchairs, and helps send MDA children to summer camps. Seventy-seven percent of all the money MDA spends goes directly toward research, health care services, and education. With a focus on children, my aim was to send as many children to summer camp as possible  giving them an accessible experience that will help their confidence and well-being for the rest of their lives.

I am proud to say that my friends and business contacts together donated enough to send three children to summer camp! Thank you EVERYONE!

For more information on Muscular Dystrophy or to help send a fourth child to camp, please visit my site above.